How to make a career change in a rapidly changing environment

For many people working in the global development sector, the last weeks have been a whirlwind. For many individuals, it has involved the loss of secure positions. Many development workers are now thinking hard about what they want to do next. One option is to think about doing something completely different — making a career pivot. But how to start doing that? What are the barriers and what do you need in order to make progress? Devex was joined by career coach Simone Anzböck to discuss exactly that. Barriers to overcome When making a career pivot, there are five barriers we must overcome, Anzböck told the audience during a recent Devex Career event. 1. Identity gap. People suddenly leaving a role often have to make a shift in their worldview — they think of themselves as being the job, and this makes moving on difficult. “For a lot of us, it's not just the job,” she said. “Often our identity is associated with it. Our philosophy on life, our view of life, [and] the values we live.” 2. Making the wrong move. It’s possible that a change of direction might take you in the wrong direction. But it might also be a chance to go the right way. “Maybe look at a path that is … closer to your strengths, closer to your values, closer to your skill set,” Anzböck said. 3. Thinking in job titles. A common challenge is identifying a role to work toward, rather than starting with your own abilities. “Instead of thinking in job titles, think in terms of your skills, skills that you want to be known for, skills that you want to build, and skills that you're interested in, as well as your strengths … your innate strengths,” she said. 4. Analysis paralysis. It’s easy to get stuck looking at all the options, rather than making progress forward. In this situation, Anzböck said, it might be best to simply try to do what feels right. She referred to a quote often attributed to Albert Einstein: “The intuitive mind is a sacred gift and the rational mind is a faithful servant. We have created a society that honors the servant … and has forgotten the gift.” 5. Living up to expectations. Finally, there is a danger that we try to do what is expected of us, and what fits with an external standard of success, rather than what makes us happy. 4 steps to make progress 1. Clarity. One key step is to understand where you are, where you want to go, and what you want to become. Anzböck suggests taking a piece of paper, taking your time, and writing down what you don’t want, what you want more of, and what you want to be known for. 2. Direction. To make a change, it’s vital to know which direction to go in. Once again, Anzböck suggested taking a piece of paper, and simply writing down things that have interested you lately — topics, organizations, and ideas — to see which ones offered a practical avenue to pursue. 3. Action. With clarity and direction comes a need to put things into motion. Too often, Anzböck said, people who are changing careers wait too long to begin doing something about it — not taking a single step until they have a settled destination. In fact, she said, it is important to build good habits around a career change. The No. 1 step involves talking to people, whether that is former colleagues, people with expertise in prospective fields, or just the barista in the local coffee shop. 4. Self-leadership. Part of a career change is handling rejection, picking yourself up, and going again. But there are also many other barriers to success, Anzböck said. Perhaps you are a hyper-achiever who is always striving to be perfect and cannot accept the good enough. Or perhaps you are so restless that you cannot commit to a single path. Be aware of what your primary type of internal barrier is, she said, and be ready to overcome it.